Being young is magical because you have your whole life ahead of you. On the flip side, people sometimes assume you don't know as much when you're young, which is pretty annoying at times. Pearl is fifteen when Dark Water begins, and she constantly finds herself caught in the middle of these two ends of the spectrum—she has just enough freedom to know she wants even more. As she struggles to find the right balance between following her mom's rules and seeing where her young heart can take her, we watch Pearl grow up a bit… but not all the way.
Questions About Youth
- Does Pearl make the decisions she does because of her age? When she tells us that her brain isn't fully formed yet because of her age, do you think she's being serious? Why or why not?
- How does Pearl's mom view teenagers? Do you think it's fair when she grounds Pearl or forces to do stuff? Explain your reasoning by turning to the text.
- What is the connection between youth and love? How does each of the couples (Greenie and Hickey, Mary Beth and Robby, Pearl and Amiel) act differently? In what ways do they act the same?
- Would the book be different if it were narrated by an adult? Why do you think it's from Pearl's perspective while she's still a teen? How does this influence the storytelling?
Chew on This
Pearl's poor decision making demonstrates how much she still has to learn because of her age.
Pearl uses her age as an excuse for her poor decisions, but age has nothing to do with it. Young people are totally capable of making better decisions than those Pearl does.